Scottish Executive

Ambulance Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11762 by Susan Deacon on 19 January 2001, what measures it is taking to retain experienced officers in useful employment within the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11762 by Susan Deacon on 19 January 2001, what measures it is taking to reduce the costs associated with early retirement due to illness in the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Ambulance Service has been successful in halving ill-health early retirements over the last six years and last year only 22 staff are recorded as having retired on ill-health grounds.

  In the event of illness, the Scottish Ambulance Service as a matter of policy looks to retain experienced staff by moving them to light or alternative duties, where this is practical. In addition, retraining may be considered if the individual has the potential to fill a vacant post.

  In a national context, the Health Department is about to conduct a literature review of manual handling, particularly looking at what has been successful and works. The results will inform the best way to help reduce these injuries which are a cause of a large percentage of early retirements and loss of experienced staff to the service. Health at Work guidelines and model policies to assist NHS organisations and employees to promote a safer working environment are currently in preparation. These are expected to include guidance on rehabilitation and manual handling and be available to the service by late summer 2002.

Anti-Social Behaviour

Mr John McAllion (Dundee East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many eviction decrees were granted, and how many of these were in respect of anti-social behaviour, in the periods (a) April to June 2001 and (b) July to September 2001, broken down by local authority area.

Iain Gray: The information requested is not yet available. The number of eviction decrees granted against local authority tenants during the period April to June of 2001 will be available later this month and will be published in the next Quarterly Housing Statistics on 18 December. A copy of the bulletin, HSG/2001/6, Housing Trends in Scotland, Quarter Ending 30 June 2001 will be available from the Parliament’s Reference Centre. Statistics for the July to September 2001 quarter are expected to available in early March 2002.

Birds

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) raven, (b) buzzard and (c) dotterel population was in each of the past five years and what the predicted populations are for each of the next five years.

Allan Wilson: The information sought is either unavailable or not available in the requested format, and is not held centrally by the Executive. The following estimates and commentary have been supplied by Scottish Natural Heritage or derived from published sources.

  Raven and Buzzard

  There is no national population census for ravens or buzzards either on a Scottish or UK basis. However, both species are monitored through the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) published by the British Trust for Ornithology, Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, which provides population trends for a range of common and widespread birds. The latest available data is derived from the 1999 BBS which covers the period 1994-99. During this period the abundance of buzzards in Scotland increased by 44%, with ravens showing a 19% rise. The BBS analysis records only the increase in buzzards as a statistically significant change.

  Dotterel

  The latest UK population estimate for the dotterel, which is based on a 1999 survey, was 630 breeding males, of which all but one was in Scotland and only two outwith the Highlands. Such estimates are not prepared annually and no census data is available for the period requested.

  General

  Estimates of future population levels of birds are not normally made. This is because of the impracticality of predicting the influence of external factors, such as the weather, on breeding success.

Care Of Elderly People

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many beds for care of the elderly there were in each of the last five years in NHS acute hospitals.

Malcolm Chisholm: Beds in acute specialties are not designated for specific age groups so it is not possible to identify separately the number of beds provided for care of the elderly. However, beds in NHS hospitals for geriatric assessment can be identified. The average daily number of beds which were staffed and were available for the reception of geriatric assessment in-patients and day cases are shown as follows:

  Year ending 31 March

  


1997 
  

3,452 
  



1998 
  

3,707 
  



1999 
  

3,634 
  



2000 
  

3,603 
  



2001 (provisional) 
  

3,484

Climate Change

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will report on its project on the Scottish regional scenarios of climate change.

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the findings of the Scottish regional scenarios of climate change project will be published.

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the detailed climate change model for Scotland will be made available.

Allan Wilson: The findings of research entitled An Exploration of Regional Climate Change Scenarios for Scotland  were published on 9 February and are available on the Executive's climate change website at www.scotland.gov.uk/climatechange . More detailed UK scenarios are expected to be published by the UK Climate Impacts Programme early next year.

Digital Hearing Aids

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of people in Scotland who need a hearing aid have access to free digital hearing aids from the NHS in Scotland.

Malcolm Chisholm: All people who need a hearing aid, and are clinically assessed as being able to benefit from a feature only available in digital instruments, should be supplied with free digital hearing aids from NHSScotland. The Executive is currently reviewing the action NHS Boards have taken to follow the guidance issued in March on good practice for fitting hearing aids.

Digital Hearing Aids

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues to health boards on the provision of digital hearing aids.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive issued Good Practice Guidance for Adult Hearing Aid Fitting and Services (HDL (2001) 19) on 2 March 2001.

  This is available on Scottish Health on the Web which can be found at www.show.scot.nhs.uk/

Digital Hearing Aids

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been supplied with digital hearing aids since May 1999, broken down by health board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: The following numbers of digital hearing aids, listed by NHS Board area, were drawn off the central Scottish Healthcare supplies contract by NHS Trusts in Scotland since the contract began in June 1999, up to the end of September 2001.

  


Argyle and Clyde 
  

9 
  



Ayrshire and Arran 
  

42 
  



Borders 
  

2 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

12 
  



Fife 
  

4 
  



Forth Valley 
  

3 
  



Grampian 
  

6 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

168 
  



Highland 
  

47 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

140 
  



Lothian 
  

232 
  



Orkney 
  

Nil 
  



Shetland 
  

Nil 
  



Tayside 
  

45 
  



Western Isles 
  

Nil

Digital Hearing Aids

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve the availability of digital hearing aids.

Malcolm Chisholm: There are now 11 types of digital hearing aid included within the wide range of hearing aids available through central contracts arranged by Scottish Healthcare Supplies for NHSScotland. This compares to only one type available in June 1999.

  I would also refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-19821 on 12 December 2001.

Digital Hearing Aids

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to discontinue the issuing of analogue hearing aids and issue digital hearing aids instead.

Malcolm Chisholm: Both analogue and digital hearing aids are available to NHSScotland through Scottish Healthcare Supplies, part of the Common Services Agency. The Executive has no plans to change this arrangement.

  The question as to whether individual patients should receive analogue or digital aids is a matter for the clinical judgement of the clinician involved, taking due account of the Good Practice Guidance for Adult Hearing Aid Fitting and Services issued by the Executive on 2 March this year.

  I would also refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-19821 on 12 December 2001.

Education

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to promote the teaching of countryside based skills such as gamekeeping in schools.

Nicol Stephen: The detailed management and delivery of the curriculum in Scotland rests with education authorities and schools. To support the role of schools and education authorities, advice and guidance on the curriculum is provided by the Scottish Executive and other agencies. National guidelines on the 5-14 curriculum for environmental studies provide schools with the opportunity to promote the teaching and learning of skills associated with the countryside. There are also opportunities within the National Qualifications framework for the development of such skills.

Education

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the grant-aided funding of specialist schools will continue beyond 2002-03.

Nicol Stephen: Ministers are currently considering funding arrangements for the seven grant-aided special schools beyond this date.

Education

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the funding provision under the National Grid for Learning to (a) specialist schools and (b) specialist schools in the voluntary sector was in (i) 2000-01 and (ii) 2001-02 and will be in 2002-03, broken down by local authority area.

Nicol Stephen: Grants to local authorities under the National Grid for Learning programme of the Excellence Fund are determined on the basis of pupil numbers. It is up to each local authority to decide how to allocate resources among all its schools, including special schools and units.

  In addition to the £8.2 million annual subsidy which the seven grant-aided special needs schools will receive in 2001-02 as a recurrent grant, and which can be used for the maintenance and replacement of information communication technology (ICT) equipment, they also share £0.5 million per year in capital support. This is available, among other purposes, for ICT development.

Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the sale of Compound Semiconductor Technologies Ltd will enhance the commercialisation of university research and, if so, in what ways.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The decision by European Digital Capital, Intel Capital and Global Edge Capital to put significant investment into Compound Semiconductor Technologies (CST) is a demonstration of market confidence in the successful commercialisation of CST’s research. Such partnerships between academia, the Enterprise Networks and the private sector bring together innovation in research and development with access to finance and commercial experience and expertise.

Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings it, or any other bodies on its behalf, have held regarding the decision to sell Compound Semiconductor Technologies Ltd and what parties attended any such meetings.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive is not a partner in Compound Semiconductor Technologies (CST) and therefore has not been involved in the discussions regarding investment in the company. However, such meetings have been held between the founding shareholders in CST, namely Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise Glasgow, the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde and Chair and Chief Executive of CST. These discussions have been professionally advised by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Maclay Murray & Spens solicitors.

Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money Scottish Enterprise, the University of Strathclyde and the University of Glasgow have each invested in Compound Semiconductor Technologies Ltd in each year since it was formed.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Scottish Enterprise/Scottish Enterprise Glasgow’s original funding was £3.4 million, which was reduced by a contribution of £2 million ERDF funding. A further loan of £400,000 was made available to the company while an investment package was put in place. In addition, the universities provided staff and equipment for Compound Semiconductor Technologies Ltd, in which they retain ownership, to facilitate commercial collaboration.

Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons were for the decision to pass Compound Semiconductor Technologies Ltd into private ownership.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Compound Semiconductor Technologies Ltd has developed successfully as a centre of excellence for the commercialisation of research in optoelectronics and now needs to attract new investment to undertake further development and commercialisation activities.

Environment

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what powers local authorities have in respect of appointing litter wardens and what resources are available to authorities to help meet the cost of making such appointments.

Ross Finnie: Under section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, littering is an offence and local authorities have the power under section 88 of the same Act to appoint litter wardens. The general revenue grant the Scottish Executive provides to local authorities covers the full range of local authority services and it is up to individual authorities how they then allocate those resources.

Environment

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what authority litter wardens have to issue penalties to those who litter public places.

Ross Finnie: Local authority officers (litter wardens) are authorised to issue fixed penalty notices for littering by section 88 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Environment

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to protect wild plants and their habitats.

Allan Wilson: A variety of action to protect wild plants and their habitats is on-going through Biodiversity Species and Habitats Action Plans. Special protection is provided for species and habitats of particular concern by the EU Habitats Directive and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

  The Executive’s policy statement The Nature of Scotland proposes additional measures for the effective deterrence, detection and punishment of wildlife crime. Plants will be given protection from reckless, as well as from intentional, damage and the courts will have the option of imposing custodial sentences for some offences.

Finance

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish details of the total agreed spending on Public/Private Partnership and Private Finance Initiative projects in each of the next 25 years, broken down by local authority area.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information is not currently held centrally on the basis of local authority area. However, I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20080 on 12 December 2001.

Finance

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish details of the agreed spending by each local authority on Public/Private Partnership and Private Finance Initiative projects in each of the next 25 years.

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish details of its agreed spending on Public/Private Partnership and Private Finance Initiative projects in each of the next 25 years, broken down by department.

Mr Andy Kerr: The most recent figures on estimated revenue payments under Private Finance Initiative projects in cash terms for signed deals for the next 25 years are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 18064). The information is shown by sector. Information on other forms of partnership is not held centrally.

Further Education

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence led to the suspension of Individual Learning Accounts on 23 November 2001.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Following the discovery of irregularities by officers from the Department of Employment and Skills’ special investigations unit, police were called in to investigate alleged fraud and theft involving Individual Learning Accounts. This led to the immediate closure of the scheme in England, which they had previously forewarned would cease on 7 December.

  There was a risk that the irregularities discovered might have led to false claims on the Scottish scheme and therefore, as a precautionary measure to protect public money, I decided to temporarily suspend payments to learning providers under the Scottish scheme on Friday 23 November. These claims are currently being validated. Once this process is completed, we expect to re-open the system for new claims.

Further Education

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what systems were in place to track any false claimants of Individual Learning Accounts.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Initial checks are undertaken by the Individual Learning Account (ILA) Centre to ensure that the learning provider, the individual learner and the learning provided are all eligible for ILA purposes. Requests for payment are then made to Scottish Enterprise or Highlands and Islands Enterprise who undertake sample checks of such claims and authorise the release of funds to meet these claims.

  In addition, the Executive, in consultation with enterprise network auditors, investigates individual complaints about specific learning providers. If complaints are upheld, payments may be withheld and can be clawed back if already paid.

Health

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether negotiations concerning consultant medical staff contracts will enable consultants to provide a service to a specific population and geographical area rather than in a specific building.

Malcolm Chisholm: Our National Health  already sets out our commitment to developing services that are designed around patients, providing individuals and communities with access to the range of health services they need, when they need it.

  We will achieve this through a range of actions to modernise the delivery of services and change existing cultures. Good examples of this already exist in NHS Scotland; it is our intention to build on this good work and to share best practice to ensure that our services meet the needs of individuals and communities.

  These actions are not dependent on the new contract for consultant medical staff. However, negotiations between the UK Health Departments and the BMA are continuing and we are fully committed to agreeing a new contract which will provide a career and remuneration system that secures and rewards the full, long-term commitments of consultants to a patient centred NHS, in pursuit of better patient care.

Health

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what palliative care provisions are currently available for non-cancer suffering patients.

Malcolm Chisholm: Palliative care is currently provided by 14 adult voluntary hospices and a number of NHS Specialist Palliative Care Units, supporting the palliative care offered by primary care teams.

Health

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cardiology consultants there currently are in each health board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: Cardiology services are in many situations provided by general physicians with a particular specialist interest in cardiology, who will be recorded for statistical purposes under general medicine. For this reason, although the following table shows those identified by their employers with cardiology as their main specialty, it does not show the overall contribution by consultants to cardiology services in every NHS Board area. For example, in Highland there are two consultants working at Raigmore Hospital who each do around 75% cardiology work, but are recorded as general physicians.

  Consultants Employed by NHSScotland with a Main Specialty of Cardiology

  Headcount at 30 September 2000

  

 

Headcount 
  



Scotland 
  

50 
  



Argyll & Clyde 
  

- 
  



Ayrshire & Arran 
  

1 
  



Borders 
  

1 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

2 
  



Fife 
  

2 
  



Forth Valley 
  

1 
  



Grampian 
  

4 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

17 
  



Highland 
  

- 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

3 
  



Lothian 
  

16 
  



Orkney 
  

- 
  



Shetland 
  

- 
  



Tayside 
  

5 
  



Western Isles 
  

- 
  



  Source: Medical and Dental Census, ISD Scotland. Data shows the number of staff in post at 30 September 2000, which is the latest information available, and is provisional.

  Notes:

  Data includes honorary appointments.

  The Scotland total does not add up to the sum of the individual health boards due to doctors who work in more than one health board. These doctors are counted in each board with which they hold a contract, but just once in the overall total.

  The table does not represent the total number of consultants that provide cardiology services in NHSScotland. Cardiology is a specialty within the general medicine group, and some doctors who provide cardiology services are recorded as consultants in general medicine.

Health

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to publish the findings of the Review of Audiology Services Working Group.

Malcolm Chisholm: The findings of the Review of Audiology Services Working Group are expected to be published in the autumn of 2002.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to include microbiology in undergraduate medical training.

Malcolm Chisholm: The undergraduate medical curriculum is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC), which is a reserved body, independent of Government. Tomorrow's Doctors , the GMC document which medical schools use to guide their curriculum development, has moved away from subject-based to a topic-based and patient-centred curriculum. Within that students are expected to come to understand the balance in the ecosystem between microbiological systems and higher life forms, between man and his environment. The GMC, as the body regulating all medical education regularly inspects medical schools to check their compliance with these recommendations.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to reduce the incidence of lung disease.

Malcolm Chisholm: Smoking is the greatest single cause of preventable disease and ill health in Scotland. The Executive’s comprehensive range of measures to reduce smoking levels will help reduce the incidence of lung disease.

Health

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what teleradiology facilities are available to patients in Stornoway, to which mainland hospital any such facilities are linked and whether the current operation of any such service is successful.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is committed to modernising health services. That includes the introduction of new technology where appropriate, and in particular where it supports the key objectives of raising standards, improving access and reducing inequalities.

  Facilities at Stornoway are for the Western Isles NHS Board to determine. I understand from the board that there is a successful teleradiology link between the hospitals in Stornoway and Benbecula which enables radiologists in Stornoway to review and interpret digital images sent electronically from Benbecula. I am not aware of similar links to date with mainland Scotland.

Hospital Acquired Infection

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the outcome was of its meeting with Dr Andrew Walker and Pharmacia on 12 October 2001.

Malcolm Chisholm: The department gained a better understanding of Dr Walker’s study and in response set out a series of co-ordinated measures ministers had introduced for tackling healthcare associated infection which is much wider than the use of new antibiotics.

Hospital Acquired Infection

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to improve its strategy on dealing with hospital acquired infection in the light of the report by Dr Andrew Walker Hospital Acquired Infection – What is the cost in Scotland ?

Malcolm Chisholm: Dr Walker’s study was on the costs of hospital acquired infection (HAI). The Executive has already put in place a series of co-ordinated measures to combat HAI. That includes a mandatory framework for national surveillance of HAI and the implementation by the Clinical Standards Board of standards for infection control, cleaning services and decontamination of reusable medical devices. Hospitals are expected to meet these standards and the Clinical Standards Board will report on their performance.

Hospital Acquired Infection

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to monitor specifically the death rate of patients from hospital acquired infections in the light of the report by Dr Andrew Walker Hospital Acquired Infection – What is the cost in Scotland ?

Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-15384 on 10 May 2001.

Hospital Acquired Infection

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which aspects of its hospital acquired infection strategies it plans to change in the light of the report by Dr Andrew Walker Hospital Acquired Infection – What is the cost in Scotland ?

Malcolm Chisholm: The report provided a better estimate of the costs of hospital acquired infection (HAI) but measures have already been introduced to ensure the NHS tackles the issue more effectively. These include the guidance in the Scottish Infection Manual , the recommendations in the report on managing the risks of Healthcare Associated Infection, the introduction of a national framework for HAI surveillance and the implementation of standards for infection control cleaning services and the decontamination of reusable medical devices which the NHS will be expected to meet.

Hospital Acquired Infection

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to put together an over-arching national strategy addressing the issues surrounding hospital acquired infection.

Malcolm Chisholm: We have already put in hand a rigorous quality improvement process with a number of elements designed to tackle healthcare associated infection. This includes:

  - the detailed guidance in the Scottish Infection Manual,

  - implementing the recommendations of the working group on managing the risk of hospital acquired infection (HAI),

  - implementation of Clinical Standards Board standards for infection control, cleaning services and decontamination of reusable medical devices,

  - implementation of a mandatory national system of surveillance for HAI, and

  - the development of a Scottish action plan as part of the UK antimicrobial resistance strategy.

Hospital Acquired Infection

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to address any spread of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection in the community.

Malcolm Chisholm: Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses no particular risk in the community because the population at large is much less susceptible to infection than the hospital in-patient population. Infection due to MRSA is uncommon outside hospitals.

Hospital Acquired Infection

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms it plans to use to educate the public about hospital acquired infections and about how such infections are spread.

Malcolm Chisholm: The public can help tackle hospital acquired infection by following standard advice about cleanliness and hygiene already prominently displayed in NHS hospitals. In addition, the need for any further measures is for discussion at national and local level, including the role of hospital infection control teams.

Hospitals

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many isolation rooms and wards there were in each of the last five years in NHS hospitals.

Malcolm Chisholm: That is a matter for individual NHS Boards.

Housing

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19542 by Jackie Baillie on 26 November 2001, what the breakdown was of the £70,000 spent on establishing Communities Scotland, including payments to outside consultants.

Iain Gray: I have asked Bob Millar, chief executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

  The expenditure on establishing Communities Scotland amounted to £69,756.65 made up as follows:

  


Design and creation of new website 
  

£39,543.00 
  



Office signage 
  

£17,738.98 
  



Development of name and logo 
  

£12,474.67 
  



Total 
  

£69,756.65

Housing

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19542 by Jackie Baillie on 26 November 2001, which external consultants were employed to help establish Communities Scotland; what specific help the consultants provided, and whether the consultants gained the contract through open competition.

Iain Gray: I have asked Bob Millar, chief executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

  The following consultants were employed to help establish Communities Scotland for the purposes shown:

  Sunrise Solutions Scotland - To design and create a new website.

  Faulds advertising - To develop a name and logo for Communities Scotland.

  Both sets of consultants were appointed through open competition.

Housing

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure any valuations of large scale voluntary transfers by Communities Scotland make provision for irrecoverable costs associated with any repairs to owner-occupiers’ property held in common with rented housing association stock.

Iain Gray: I have asked Bob Millar, chief executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

  Communities Scotland, on behalf of Scottish Homes, commissions from a panel of professionally qualified independent valuers valuations of the rented housing stock to be transferred.

  To date no provision has been made in any of the valuations for the non-recovery of owners’ contributions as private properties are not part of the core stock being sold.

  Although this has been raised by acquiring landlords, Communities Scotland take the view that it is inappropriate to include costs in the valuation which do not directly relate to the stock being valued for sale.

Hutters

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14979 by Iain Gray on 11 June 2001, what plans it has to introduce legislation to provide greater protection for hutters.

Mr Jim Wallace: A consultation paper published by the Executive on 15 December last year invited views on whether in principle the Executive should seek to promote legislation to give greater protection to hutters, and on the detailed provisions required if such legislation were to be introduced. Over 300 responses were received to the consultation, some of which arrived after the closing date on 9 March.

  Ministers are considering the most suitable way forward in the light of the consultative response and a statement will be made in due course.

Maternity Services

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the guidelines issued by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists concerning maternity units are being given equal weighting by all NHS bodies in relation to the maternity unit reviews currently under way.

Malcolm Chisholm: The responsibility for assessing the needs of the local population and delivering the most appropriate configuration of maternity services to meet those needs lies with the individual NHS Boards.

  In conducting their reviews of maternity strategies, NHS bodies will take full account of the clear action points and recommendations in A Framework for Maternity Services in Scotland as well as Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists guidelines and the views of health service staff, service users and local communities.

NHS Waiting Times

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average lengths of waiting lists for angiograms currently are in each health board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: Information on the number of patients waiting for angiograms is not available centrally. Information on the number of patients waiting for in-patient or day case treatment is collected centrally at specialty level only.

  The number of patients waiting for in-patient or day case treatment in the specialty of cardiology on 30 June 2001, by NHS Board of residence, is provided in the following table.

  NHSScotland: Number of Patients Waiting for In-patient/Day Case Treatment in the Specialty of Cardiology on 30 June 2001, by NHS Board of Residence.

  


NHS Board 
  

Number Of Patients 
  



Argyll and Clyde 
  

139 
  



Ayrshire and Arran 
  

138 
  



Borders 
  

36 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

86 
  



Fife 
  

66 
  



Forth Valley 
  

70 
  



Grampian 
  

210 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

318 
  



Highland 
  

49 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

325 
  



Lothian 
  

324 
  



Orkney 
  

4 
  



Shetland 
  

14 
  



Tayside 
  

92 
  



Western Isles 
  

22 
  



Scotland 
  

1,901 
  



  Source: ISD Scotland.

Nuclear Power

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the second supplementary question to question S1O-4155 by Rhona Brankin on 22 November 2001, whether it has any plans to review its policy on new nuclear power stations.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive position, which was made clear both in response to that question and in our September submission to the UK Energy Policy Review, remains unchanged. We take the view that no decisions on policy about the future of nuclear energy, and its necessary regulatory framework, can be taken before the results of the UK consultation on future radioactive waste management policy are available.

Nursing

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has given to general practitioners regarding systems of documentation to support prescribing by nurses.

Malcolm Chisholm: The guidance issued to all nurse prescribers states very clearly the requirement to enter nurse prescribing information into the GP patient record, and that the timescales for doing this need to be agreed with the GP.

  The Scottish Executive has set up a steering group to take forward the extension of nurse prescribing. One of the members of that group is a general practitioner. Infrastructure to support the extension of nurse prescribing is one of the issues being considered by the group.

Nursing

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is monitoring any effect of prescribing by nurses on the maintenance of comprehensive patient records.

Malcolm Chisholm: The guidance issued to all nurse prescribers states very clearly the requirement to enter nurse prescribing information into the GP patient record and that the timescales for doing this need to be agreed with the GP. The detailed content of the patient record held by GPs is a matter for the GPs themselves.

  The Scottish Executive has set up a steering group to take forward the extension of nurse prescribing. One of the members of that group is a GP. Infrastructure to support the extension of nurse prescribing is one of the issues being considered by the group.

Nursing

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to authorise prescribing nurses to use practice computer systems for producing prescriptions and, if so, when this will be introduced.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive has made a substantial investment in GP systems and in community nurse access to IT.

  The Scottish Executive has set up a steering group to take forward the extension of nurse prescribing. Infrastructure to support the extension of nurse prescribing is one of the issues being considered by the group. This will include consideration of the potential for computer generated prescriptions where appropriate.

Parliamentary Questions

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19889 by Sarah Boyack on 26 November 2001, why it did not provide a detailed response to the question and how much it spent on answering the question.

Lewis Macdonald: Question S1W-19889 was answered adequately. As the member will be aware, it is not usual to provide details of discussions between ministers and third parties.

  The estimated cost of answering the member’s question S1W-19889 is £60.

Physical Education

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17603 by Mr Jack McConnell on 14 September 2001, what progress has been made with the review of swimming provision available to school pupils with particular regard to any findings in respect of such provision in the Aberdeenshire Council area.

Nicol Stephen: A questionnaire seeking quantitative and qualitative information is with local authorities and should provide an up-to-date picture of opportunities available for school pupils. Responses are expected during December after which we will be in a position to consider if any action is required.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19105 by Iain Gray on 26 November 2001, what steps it is taking to monitor the incidence and frequency of "lock-ups" at HM Prison and Young Offenders Institution Cornton Vale and at all prisons and young offenders institutions.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The SPS intend to keep records only of lock-up due to a cellular confinement punishment.

Procurator Fiscal Service

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what response time to letters from MSPs should be achieved by the Procurator Fiscal service and what arrangements it is making to ensure that MSPs get timeous replies.

Colin Boyd QC: The response time is 20 working days. Correspondence response times are monitored and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service achieves exemplary performance. I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20492 for the response times achieved in correspondence with a particular Procurator Fiscal.

Procurator Fiscal Service

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate the delay in replying to my letters concerning Mr John Doyle sent to the Procurator Fiscal’s office in Kilmarnock.

Colin Boyd QC: There was no delay. The letter of 2 July 2001 was acknowledged on 3 July. It related to an on-going investigation. On 22 August 2001 a letter was sent to the constituency office address intimating the outcome of the investigation and the decision in relation to the case. Evidently it did not reach Michael Russell because he wrote again on 25 September 2001. The Procurator Fiscal replied to that letter on 4 October 2001, addressing that letter also to the constituency office. On 27 November 2001 a letter was received from Mr Doyle, from which it was clear that the information sent on 22 August and 4 October had not been passed on to him. The Procurator Fiscal replied to him and sent a copy to Michael Russell on 28 November 2001.

Rail Services

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to determine and influence the future delivery of rail services in Scotland and what use it has made of these powers in the context of consultation and negotiation with the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions.

Lewis Macdonald: On 31 March 1998, Henry McLeish MP, then the minister responsible for Transport at the Scottish Office, announced in the House of Commons that a range of important responsibilities for the operation of railways in Scotland would be transferred to the Parliament and Scottish ministers. These responsibilities were to be delivered within the revised GB regulatory framework, which was subsequently implemented in the Transport Act 2000.

  The responsibilities have been transferred to the Parliament and the Scottish ministers through provisions in the Transport Act 2000 and Orders made under sections 30 and 63 of the Scotland Act 1998.

  The Scottish ministers are now responsible for issuing to the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) Directions and Guidance for the franchise providing passenger rail services that start and end in Scotland. They have the power to issue Directions and Guidance for Scottish sleeper services provided by the same franchise, to issue advice to the SRA on other cross-border services, and to fund the SRA to enable it to pay for the franchise providing Scottish passenger services. They also have responsibility for the administration of freight facilities grants and track access grants in Scotland, working within the rules of the schemes agreed at GB level for these subsidies, and for appointing the Chair of the Rail Passengers’ Committee for Scotland. The reports of that committee and of the Rail Passengers’ Council will be laid before the Parliament.

  The Parliament has legislative competence over the provision of grants for passenger rail services. It also has competence over the rail responsibilities of Strathclyde PTA/E and of any new such bodies which might be established in Scotland, subject to these falling within the overall framework of the new railway regulatory structure. The final provision of the rail devolution settlement to be implemented will give the Parliament legislative competence over the promotion and construction of railways in Scotland.

  Ministers’ regular meetings with the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions take place within the context of all of these powers.

Residential Care

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what regulations it plans to adopt to stop the spread of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in private nursing homes.

Malcolm Chisholm: Every nursing home is required to have effective policies and procedures to control and prevent the spread of infection. When private nursing homes are being inspected, checks are made to establish that these are in place and being followed. All nursing homes are inspected at least twice a year

  From 1 April 2002, the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care will regulate all care homes to national standards (including, for example, hygiene) set by Scottish ministers.

Road Safety

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to receive a response from the Accident Investigation and Prevention Unit following its meeting with Tayside Police to determine whether remedial safety measures need to be implemented on the A90 at Friarton Bridge.

Lewis Macdonald: The Accident Investigation and Prevention Unit has reported that discussions with Tayside Police about the fatal accident on the A90 at Friarton Bridge in November 2001 did not identify any road defect or requirement for specific engineering measures to be undertaken. Notwithstanding this report, BEAR Scotland Ltd has been asked to investigate the Friarton Bridge area in general, as part of the annual trunk road safety programme, to determine whether any measures could be introduced to improve safety at this location.

Roads

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why its Development Department considered that it did not need a quality:price ratio when assessing tenders for trunk road maintenance contracts, as reported in paragraph 1.51 of Audit Scotland’s The new trunk road contracts .

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why its Development Department’s initial assessment was that it was not clear that each bidder’s tendered final quality proposals for trunk road maintenance contracts fully met the required quality threshold, as reported in paragraph 1.62 of Audit Scotland’s The new trunk road contracts .

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why its Development Department clarified aspects of each bidder’s quality proposals with the knowledge of the initial results of the financial assessment of bids, as reported in paragraph 1.63 of Audit Scotland’s The new trunk road contracts .

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why there was no opportunity for bidders for trunk road maintenance contracts to offer innovative proposals from the outset of the contracts involving any change in the level of service or the work specifications, as reported in paragraph 2.14 of Audit Scotland’s The new trunk road contracts .

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its Development Department has on any occasion (a) stepped in to remedy any default in respect of non-compliance by any operating company with any aspect of its trunk road maintenance contract, (b) recovered any costs incurred by taking such action from the operating company and (c) claimed an additional 12.5% in addition to any such costs from the operating company as permitted by the terms of the contract outlined in paragraph 2.24 of Audit Scotland’s The new trunk road contracts and, if so, whether it will give specific details of each occasion.

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to paragraph 2.25 of Audit Scotland’s The new trunk road contracts , what internal guidance it has established to help clarify circumstances where contract termination may be warranted, why such guidance was not established at the outset of the contracts and on what date the development of any such guidance was completed.

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to paragraph 2.26 of Audit Scotland’s The new trunk road contracts , whether its Development Department has levied any lane occupation charges on any companies operating trunk roads maintenance contracts at any time since 1 April 2001 and, if so, whether it will give details of (a) each company involved, (b) (i) the amount and (ii) the date and (c) the default that resulted in each such charge.

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to paragraph 2.35 of Audit Scotland’s The new trunk road contracts , why Amey Highways Ltd and BEAR (Scotland) Ltd did not meet the initial performance requirement of the trunk roads maintenance contracts to have ready a computerised management information system by 1 April 2001.

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the financial sanctions taken against the companies operating the trunk roads maintenance contracts referred to in paragraph 2.36 of Audit Scotland’s The new trunk road contracts , what the value of each sanction was; in respect of which contractor each sanction was taken, and what the reasons were for taking such sanctions and not terminating the contracts.

Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20533 on 29 November 2001, in response to publication of the Auditor General’s report.

Roads

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on maintaining (a) local authority and (b) trunk roads in the Mid Scotland and Fife parliamentary constituency in each of the past three years, broken down by local authority area.

Lewis Macdonald: Information on local authority roads expenditure is not held centrally. Information on trunk roads expenditure is not recorded on the basis of either parliamentary regions or local authority areas.

Schools

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it provides to protect rural schools from the threat of closure.

Nicol Stephen: The principal responsibility for school provision in rural and urban areas lies with the education authorities. There are statutory consultation requirements which authorities must undertake where they propose to close a school. This ensures that there is a full opportunity for all relevant issues surrounding any proposed closure of a school to be aired and considered.

Schools

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Education and Young People will consider visiting Bell Baxter High School in Cupar, Fife in the near future.

Cathy Jamieson: I hope that it may be possible to visit the school at some point in the future should the opportunity to do so arise.

Scottish Executive Publications

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost was of publishing, printing and distributing (a) its Social Justice Report 2001: A Scotland Where Everyone Matters and (b) the supplements to that report and how many copies of each have been printed.

Iain Gray: The publication and printing of the Social Justice Annual Report 2001 cost £25,293. The publication and printing of its supplements cost £3,646. Distribution of all three documents has so far cost £3,521. 6,000 copies of the main report were produced, 4,000 summary leaflets and 500 technical companions.

Scottish Natural Heritage

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what methods Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) proposes to use to eradicate mink from the Western Isles; what alternative methods were considered; why these alternatives were discounted; whether the methods chosen will be adequate and, if not, what plans it has to enhance them; how it will ensure value for money in the £1.65 million public funding for the Hebridean Mink Project, and whether it has any plans to consider combining the proposed methods of SNH with those used by the Icelandic Government to remove mink from the vicinity of their eider farms whereby dogs are used to locate individual animals at which point they are removed by either shooting or digging out.

Allan Wilson: This is a matter for Scottish Natural Heritage and I have asked that they respond to you accordingly.

Tobacco Advertising

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) powers and (b) plans it has to introduce legislation for the regulation of tobacco advertising.

Malcolm Chisholm: Tobacco advertising is a devolved matter. The Executive is committed to achieving a ban on tobacco advertising and promotion in Scotland which is both effective and enforceable. We do not rule out Scottish legislation at some point, but consider that a UK-wide ban will enable a much more effective and comprehensive ban to be delivered. The UK Government has a manifesto commitment to legislate to effect a ban during the lifetime of the current Westminster Parliament and we have been pressing hard and consistently for this to be done as soon as possible.

Tourism

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made or plans to make to Her Majesty’s Government to promote the claiming back of VAT by tourists and visitors to Scotland.

Mike Watson: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues.

Young People

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it provides in rural areas to activities to divert young people from offending behaviour.

Cathy Jamieson: Local authorities and others in rural areas have access to a range of support measures already in place, or being introduced. These include our current Youth Crime Review investment of £23.5 million over three and a half years. Every local authority will carry out an audit of demand and resource so the area’s needs can be identified and met. In addition, up to £21.75 million of the £87 million total available nationally for sport and physical education from the New Opportunities Fund has been earmarked for schemes intended to divert young people from offending behaviour. Furthermore, the community education grant scheme of over £1 million supports voluntary youth organisations who operate throughout Scotland, including rural areas.

Young People

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent in the financial years 1999-2000 and 2000-01 on measures to prevent young people becoming involved with drugs in (a) Inverclyde and (b) throughout Scotland.

Dr Richard Simpson: A Policy Unit review of expenditure on drugs, published by the Executive in October 2000, estimated that around £22.6 million was spent per annum on prevention in 1999-2000 and in 2000-01. This included schools and health education, grants and research, community education, and health promotion.

  It is not possible to provide a breakdown of these figures for Inverclyde.

Young People

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much will be spent in the financial year 2001-02 on measures to prevent young people becoming involved with drugs in (a) Inverclyde and (b) throughout Scotland.

Dr Richard Simpson: We estimate that around £29.6 million will be spent on prevention in Scotland in 2001-02. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of this figure for Inverclyde.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-18872 on 12 October 2001, whether all the timber supplied by the businesses named in that answer has been received and whether all this timber was supplied to the required quality and specification.

Sir David Steel: The timber is being held by the suppliers ready for collection for kiln drying. The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has informed me that the timber was procured in accordance with the specification.

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether accelerated weathering tests will be carried out on the laminated wood and completed window units which were to be supplied by Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd; which company will conduct any such tests, and whether any unsatisfactory test result will reduce the sum paid to Flour City for the units and, if so, by how much.

Sir David Steel: Following liquidation, Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd will not supply laminated wood and completed window units for the new Parliament building. The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has confirmed that the successful supplier of the windows element of the cladding package will be responsible for the provision of materials and units, weather tested to approved standards, however they are constructed. If laminated wood were to be selected, accelerated weather testing would be required.

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer,  further to his answer to question S1W-19154 on 14 November 2001, what the name was of the parent company who provided the guarantee; whether the guarantee was to have been given by a particular time or date; what obligations the guarantee covered, and whether the guarantee included a provision in respect of a liability for any monetary sum, and, if so, what that sum was.

Sir David Steel: The Parent Company Guarantee was provided by Flour City International Inc and was requested due to the failure of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd to provide a Performance Bond.

  No deadline was given for the provision of a Parent Company Guarantee. The Parent Company Guarantee covered any breach of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd’s obligations or duties under the contract. The guarantor would then, without delay, procure the remedying of any breach of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd’s obligations, failing which, the guarantor would pay to the employer and/or assign the amount of losses, damages, costs and expenses which may be incurred by the employer, by reason of any default on the part of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd.

  No monetary sum can yet be attributed to any breach of contract by Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd.